For background, the Taiwan-based MediaTek just announced its MT6589 quad-core chipset in December, making it the newest entrant into the ever-growing smartphone core war.

Alcatel's 5-inch One Touch Scribe HD is the first quad-core smartphone to use MediaTek's chipset.
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

The Scribe HD will also feature an 8-megapixel camera with a 720p HD front-facing camera. I didn't get a chance to test the camera, but I did really enjoy the look and feel of the Scribe HD. The model I saw was slick with a glossy black face and an equally smooth white back and sides. It's a thin phone, but doesn't feel too edgy or angular in the hands. There's no way, however, that I'm fitting it into my jeans.

Since the U.S.-bound handset will feature 3G speeds, it's likely coming as a high-end device to a 3G prepaid carrier like Cricket. For 4G, you'll need the Alcatel One Touch ScribeHD-LTE, which has not been announced for the U.S.

The One Touch HD is slated to arrive in China this month and in the U.S. in the second fiscal quarter, for about $400 unsubsidized.

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Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD

About The Author

Jessica Dolcourt reviews smartphones and cell phones, covers handset news, and pens the monthly column Smartphones Unlocked. A senior editor, she started at CNET in 2006 and spent four years reviewing mobile and desktop software before taking on devices.